Athletic footwear commonly is used to provide increased support and motion control to an athlete's feet. The weight and deceleration of an athlete's body during movement is transferred from the foot, through the shoe to the ground. The characteristics of this force transferral depends on the design and material of the shoe. Materials with damping tendencies act to absorb the force thereby decreasing deceleration or shock. Unfortunately, this damping action dissipates the energy of motion which decreases quickness, rebounding, etc.
The present invention describes a resilient shoe insole which acts as a spring, returning at least 70% of absorbed energy thereby providing additional lift and increased response and reduced O.sub.2 demand in running.